EU surpasses 2025 target for sustainable aviation fuel use

10:45

By: Azzat Manal

EU surpasses 2025 target for sustainable aviation fuel use

The European Union exceeded its first mandatory target for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use in 2025, marking a significant step forward in the bloc’s efforts to reduce emissions from air transport, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The agency said in its 2026 annual technical report on ReFuelEU Aviation that fuel suppliers delivered 39.3 million tonnes of aviation fuel to EU airports last year. Of that amount, 1.1 million tonnes consisted of sustainable aviation fuel, representing 2.8% of total supplies and exceeding the mandatory minimum target of 2%.

SAF availability increased dramatically in just one year. The volume supplied to EU airports rose from 193,000 tonnes in 2024 to 1.1 million tonnes in 2025, an increase of nearly six times.

The expansion was also reflected in the number of airports receiving sustainable aviation fuel. SAF was supplied at 121 airports across the EU’s 27 member states in 2025, compared with just 33 airports the previous year.

The figures indicate a rapid expansion in the availability of alternative aviation fuels as European authorities seek to accelerate the sector’s transition toward lower-carbon operations. ReFuelEU Aviation is designed to increase the use of sustainable fuels in European aviation while creating greater certainty for fuel suppliers and airlines.

EASA Executive Director Florian Guillermet welcomed the results, saying the mandatory SAF share under the ReFuelEU Aviation framework had not only been met but exceeded.

The agency said it is also developing a reliable and comprehensive database to track the development of the SAF market across Europe. The system is intended to provide a clearer picture of supply trends and help identify areas where additional measures may be needed as the transition progresses.

Despite the strong increase recorded in 2025, the expansion of SAF remains an important challenge for the European aviation sector. Increasing production capacity, securing sustainable feedstocks and expanding supply infrastructure will be essential as mandatory blending requirements become more demanding in the years ahead.

The latest figures nevertheless highlight the rapid growth of sustainable aviation fuel within the European market and provide an early indication of how the continent’s aviation industry is adapting to increasingly ambitious environmental requirements.